Research Says: Current Research to Inform Practice

Conference Archive

DevLearn 2016 Conference & Expo - November 17, 2016

Stevie Rocco

Assistant Director for Learning Design, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Penn State University

During design and development, SMEs sometimes suggest ideas or
practices that are antithetical to good instructional design. For example, a
designer might have a stakeholder who believes it’s best to simply film a
daylong stand-up training session and deliver it as one video. When this
happens, it is helpful for the designer to be able to identify research
findings to help the SME understand why learning should be designed
differently.

This session will outline the most current research regarding
assessment, usability, and multimedia in eLearning. Being able to cite research
with SMEs and other stakeholders can assist the designer in creating quality
instruction, as decisions are based on findings. Knowledge of current research
is also one way for designers to remain current with regard to best practices
in their professional field. Framed as a story, the session will use scenarios
in which research is used to make design decisions, and attendees will receive
a list of places to look for current research to inform eLearning practice.

In this session,
you will learn:

How to cite research in three areas:
multimedia, visual design/usability, and assessment

How to successfully use research to
make data-driven decisions for design and development